Reversible tractor track



sept 14, 1943 c. v. STEWART 2,329,303

REVERSIBLE TRACTOR TRACK Filed May -4. 1942 INVENTO am. L/

BVA/M ATToRNlY Patented'sept. (.174, k1943 y and rmekssofftracir typeatraeters mi reinffprof the .side `members 0f 7the flink Whihontacis s pulsion-fis efreetedybxmans of a wgspreket the War'vrfdrivng face 0f the Sprockets on the Asisting Ofelia-ks carrying .tr-fici: shoes 'on their 5 tuniypmnsurfasze .,111 foutergsuniacesi; :Theiwmeishtr@faille Vehil? is .1L lsupportexi fonI rollers at ythk bottom; of, the span f .z.hetweemthaIeariandiim Aard. wheels?! .ffnr ommonafmraetig?, ;,v ofi :whi9h;-.fsrfiis theetrslss re m.

vfor tractors composed of linksformediso that the-entire .6h-ain @y be. reversed yorfturneffl,0i/e1' whereby shoe sidef0frt1,1e,1i.r1k$ 0f -the entire kiff-#Wo'Side pieworinecedh vviihimble ,at one een@ :and adapted@ receive fihelinkIQr. lbearirie gniemgbers with V.igd

,.pinfof, thenext.. ,succeedipgflink at Athe ,othereridf" lids if pin sofiiesisned 4mi@ ShweQ-thatthQyaIe longitul, eppposi.endsf.of the fdinallysymmetralrwhereby theymaylberelinie-members, Y, .4 bearings pin works freely versed @ndi the,v4 S1192 .Side Awill bee-991e `mil --fwithisftheicqnnectingethiiiible 'Theil-rac' isfput side ofthe `link as set up in thetmk hain- 5o together by pressingtirerL demembrstonxofa y .Aristillifiurizherr,@kiestfzof the invention is t0]y thimblei@timeiendsraridsontosfaspin'finserted provide al trackl chain 4composed of links whieh through the thimble of `rans'already. assembled*` are vsymmetrical relative to their longitudinal link at the othererid.- Inthis Iriariierf,"thechain axis so that when either the chain or thejinf n is assembledifthebearingpiri of eachlink rturns dvidual links are yrotated. through 180 degrees 55y in the thimble of the `nfext link., Afterthechain4k p bearing pin-end I6 andllofeach succeedinglinkfbearagainst is assembled shoe plates are. attached by bolts rto the outside face of each link member on what ,o isv called the shoeps'lde.' The chain is placed dicates the leftv hand orvfar side element of the sameor asimilar link.'v At the leftend of these side elements, holesy 4'- arey provided and sized lto receive a thimble-S with a firm press fit. The opposite ends ofv the elements are drilled to re-` ceive a bearing-pin 6 with afirmpress t. Be-

tween these two end portions thereare outer and j inner side Webs 1 and 8'; forming theshoe side .A Y

face and track face, respectively., Unlike the ,y orf-flush wltnthe new track faoeorthe links. typeoof link side .element now ingeneraluse," these webs are similarly shaped andare both drilled` Withalignedand registering holes 9, I0,

v `I lr,'and l2, 4all Isizedto receive bolts `|"4. 1 The po- 4sition"of"th'e shoe l5 as attached, isv 'shown in Figure, 1. l

bearing face lo'fthe thirnble end is'foflset inwardly relative-"Tte the` inner-bearing face vI 1y of the of this link. Y @Thus'gf the faces V each other.l sItis 'also to"be-notlcedthat the centerline xx; Figure 1 ,f denotes an.- axis 'of' sy'rnl n'letryV and `that yeach linkfside element issymy metrical on eitherside of this' airis; thatis', the' faces I9 and 2li4 correspond'frelative Ito thisvaxis of symmetryand the shoejbolt holes Il' and l2 are symmetrically positioned relativeto the vshoe Y bolt holes sand I0. jDue'to this symmetryvthe right hand or outer link, as illustrated in Figure 1,4 maybe revolved on axis ma: and 'fused las a Y left hand link inthe kposition shown vin lFigure 2. I'

Furthermore due tof this symmetry the corn-` posite link,;' including" right and "left "side meinbers`2 and 3, "a thimble5anda pin dfmaybe'r'evolved on: a longitudinal axis of symmetry'passingfthrough its" longitudinal centerffas indicated bythe intersection 'of linesaa and bbjFigllreB. l

When lthis is'donefthe lower orrail `sidefacfe 20 'becomes "the outer 'or yshoe sideA face ISL 'If'his construction permits the link side ymembers to be made eiiactly4 the :same and itis: not necessary 'to provide `dies 'or 'shaplrl'gfdevicesvto' manufacture t them in pairsof ri'ght'andfleftinlernbers;respecL tively. This reduces the cost ofj manufacture as o well as the numberlof spare partsnecessaryfor y inv ordinary yservicing and 'mainr faces I9 and 2/0 arevmade' `as wide and longas' is possible. The forward edges kof sholllde'rs MIV and I 4I extend towardjthe axis'of the 'jointjustassfar as possible-consideringthe strength `of theimate- .rial in order to minimize 'the gap between :links when on the trackl side" face. 'f However; these shoulders mustl each he' terminated''te` provide suflicient'spa'ce so that the next link will be' free' to} move` angularly 'onv'either side of the ho'riionl tal longitudinal center "plane of each link` as inmember is'likewiselimited.v I

In ordei` .to provider-asmoothfwear surface on v, rail faces of the side members.

pins'may lle-tapered and splined to secure an 1" the rail faoo in of me link ido members, the shoe bolt holes are rimmed out slightly; as shown particularly ln the fragmentary sectiomFlgure V2, at o* 24. VA nat headed pin plug is forcedinto this hole. Its head and stem aresized and proportioned sojthatwhen itis setup thek head is flush with face `2l).

These pins 25a1'e'madey same material as theV link shoe bolt holeswith a tight press fit. `When the chain is originallymadeltheyvare yset onthe rail adequateretention. New pins, if used, are ground In'` usingmy type of track link the'l track is put together in theusual manner, using a hydraulic or other press to force the side members onto the thimbles and bearing pins-The plates are y 'gthenl attached lnthefsam'e mannerfas with ordi'- Vn'rmly engages vthe arcuate narytrlinks and thetracklplaced iri ilse'fupo'n'the l 'tractor-J YIn use the-'driving facef'of each' tooth;

cheek face.3| offeachminime', v wear wlthinj this area is inevitable and rapid andintime=not onlyis the sprocket tooth' n worn ont in evenA g 'r `eatex 'v proportion` thecheek and stillyrepresentsa goodfjandadeqllate contacti' 5 fWhere Vdue to accidents y face 3l `of each 'the shape shownat uponfits 'lo'ngitiidinalaidsr l l L "linkshoe.facesfmayfnowlbe 4:sed as track'faces.` The 'filler pins 25-a rr'es'sed"out of the btllt'holesl on rthe tracksfdea thirn'bl'e fis wornruntlllltiassumes tractor causes weargfindlcated' atl 35T The-opposite side 33 i ofthe -thifmble however, lis not Aworn in'f.rv surface" fo'rthe "sprocketfteethl lThetrack the' -ohai'n lis in this oondltionjrit Vloe replaced f if 'ordinary links; are' used but Iwhen'myilmprovod turned over. lIndoig'this, eahflinkfis revolved symmetry-VAD' the ith'e" shoes replacedon the former track faces i of' the links. -The onlyr labor necessary to thisxrrreversal isthat -f removing the track chain by"vl/ithd-rawal of thepincfthe mas`' ter link, removal oftheshoerlpltsjexchange "ofr. n filler pins andthe replacement ofthe trackQnIn *Y Amaking this reversallnewtrack; faees`-are made availablefasfiwell asf'fresh w ar' llrfacesf 'rfthe :individual link lhec'l'nes"ences sii/'ely wormfeither and re-assemblingllprjL onthe trackffaceor Von,thelco'ritajctface of its "u thimble,l this link mayfrb reversed independently by disassemblingand reversing thefsldefmembers I claim:

` A i reversibletraotorflrile aoludmg sido mombers, a thimble yand :afb'earin'g pin,said-'sideA ineinbers beingL shapev symmetrically shapedrelative td aj line ,proj ected l longitudinally ,through'thefaxes1- orgniofthlmble and bearing pin; lsimilarly shaped webs-'o nnbiothy i track and rail v faces; l'ioles"y vfor?fattacllin'g snces providedin said webs dithatshoes may be, attached to eitherfaeejoffi-said'tside frnelnbers,k and ,llerplugs inserted in the bolt holes onfth'e rail face thereof.

4 0f `the i Tand forced into the Optionally, the

32 logplgurecl. Reversing' the o Y faulty` material, an'4 l to :be linterchangeableQQandA @SABLES c STEWART# 

